TO: Campus Community
FR: Monir Ahmed, Vice President for Administration and Finance and Chief Financial Officer
This week’s winter storm is expected to bring heavy wind and rain conditions that may lead to flooding, roadway closures, and potential disruptions to internet connectivity and power in some areas of our county. We encourage you all to be mindful of these conditions and be cautious during the next few days. Due to the forecasted severity of the storm, we anticipate manageable impacts to the campus, including potential minor flooding, standing water, and possible wind impacts to trees and other vegetation. However, local officials are anticipating significant regional impacts to occur, including roadway flooding and closures, power outages, and downed trees.
SSU’s Facilities Management team remains ready and prepared to act should action be necessary in response to the storm. If the campus loses power or other utility, employees and campus residents will be notified as soon as possible via email. If emergency conditions exist, an SSU Alert may be sent via text or phone call as well. Information on SSU Alert emergency notifications can be found on the Emergency Services website.
To protect our campus infrastructure, Facilities Management is taking the following actions to prepare for the weather:
- Preparing sandbags to be available for deployment should flooding occur
- Ensuring exterior storm drains and pathways are clear of debris to allow proper flow of run-off water
- Securing spaces that have outdoor materials or seating to reduce risk of movement from high winds
Should the severe weather impact campus, we ask your partnership to:
- Report any flooding or leaks within buildings by submitting a work order.
- Report any significant exterior flooding or wind related damage by submitting a work order.
Other reminders:
- Use care when out in the severe weather conditions. Do not drive or walk through deep standing water and follow posted traffic information including road closures.
- If you are unable to come to campus and need to work remotely or if you are unable to work remotely as scheduled, please notify your appropriate administrator. Administrators are encouraged to work with employees, where operationally feasible, to support remote work if and as needed.
Sonoma County emergency information about the winter storm, including road closures, can be found on the SoCo Emergency website. Residents of Sonoma County can also call 211 for road closure information. Monitor weather conditions and forecasts using local news outlets or www.weather.gov. For any questions about conditions or our campus procedures related to this advisory, please email emergency@sonoma.edu.